Ball or handle for gear-shift levers



June 3, 1930. K. TURK BALL 0R HANDLE FOR GEAR SHIFT LEVERS Filed April 2, 11928 Patented June 3, 1930 tent-roan; or Jinn-among, mnrivjilniin,

ASSIGNORTO THE PORCELAIN ENAMEL &

rant on HANlJ Iilii 1 6s GiiARsrrrF'r LEvERs 1a 1 I r sh ft is p p j pose in'ai'itomobiles of the more expensive'ma u'lfactnrel v materials; fer QXa ipIF' f emptation; rub; ber, s'olidf glass; solid porcela n orpnyX; as

Well as other substances, The ,mostf commonly used are composition; or imitation onyx. The composition balls -are ob ect1onb ii f h il e th 3 unit: 2'5tractive" in' app srance ana m'fayfbe easily marre'dor scored. Furthermore, the compo-j siti oh knob s mdr'e or les 'sl'porons, thereby} absorbing perspiration and ,grease," render ingitvery difichlt tojkeeptheni clean." l The imitation 'onyx' or solidlgla ssl 'andfpo'r;

es present in thecoi'n'positioh handles, are more expensive and are "subject, to inher- 'ent" disadvantages; Chiefiy amongthese are that'they areeasily breakable and it is further necessary to swedge or otherwise insert a brass bushing in the glass or porcelain balls in order to provide means of attachment to theend of the gear shift lever. The provision of such bushings adds to the cost of manufacture, as Well as rendering the ball more complicated andtedious to assemble. When the gear shift balls are constructed of cast 5 iron or steel, as has been attempted in certain instances, it is necessary to provide a covering of paint, nickle plating or other material to provide a finished appearance. This latter class of knobs is objectionable for the -reason that in cold Weather the metallic balls invention isfpart'i early us'efiil' certain aims tea, the paces:

1958'. el-s1 m. aeaeeo.

1 tend to absorb heat and therefore stick to the hand of the operator as in the case of ordinary iron or steel.

lit; is the purpose of the present invention to provide an improved ball or handle for gear shift levers hich will not possess anyof the disadvantages above described in connection with other forms of balls or knobs, and yet will be economical to manufacture, pleasing anchornarnental in appearance and possess otherv inherent advantages to be described which are not present in any of the balls or handles nowin use. I a I I It I the purpose of the 4 present invention to constrlict'the ball or handle from a'sing le piece of cast iron or metal having anintegral threaded aperture for convenient attachment to theend of the gear shift lever, saidvcast iron ball being thereafter covered yvithha genuine porcelain" or vi'treons enamel which may be finishedfiii various colo'rs' aii'd de signs to present an ornamental and attractive appearance. lhe gear shift ball const'll'i cted' in: accordance with the invention has an en: tei iorly smooth finisln'resembles yery 'clos'ely the solid imitation onyx ball; but is ere-a1; able a'ndniay be much more cheaply' nian n factur'edi t is not necessary to provide bushings to permit. the ball to be attached tofthe gearshift lever and theball' riiaybe clain knobs have been madsai vations sh pes and, 'colo1i and while, not having the'gdisad convenientlysecured in place onvari'ons sizes of 'l'evers which may; be' accommodatediby; varying the size of the integral ScreW'thread ed' hole or aperture in the I The knob constructed in? accordancegwith thepiess'at"internist may be easily cleaned With'fa dry 'cloth' ahd is 'irri"lieri i toperspin atioii; oil o r L dirt. Further re' the: a e la's'is i 'q ie i sm ,t I .i "compo s'itiondevices used for the"described' purpose. p, secreted even finishjfo{porcelain I "letteringfadvertisingor 4; U. H I. the n tials or mo ograni of the autombbi e may; e embod ed inth'e finish as an t of the article Without affecting c t 'e n ss. t hela te any such let terlno "or visible indicia is dlrectlv 5 -"']-"V'."} Huq 1'0 ur "1"." U171 ara-n. L5 fireo 1n the glaze or the porcelain finish and inte al '3 a lower opening or aperture 3 which is screw threaded as shown for convenient attachment" =with the present improvements is obviously possessed with greater strength ,and durability than knobs heretofore used and above described, and combined with this advantage the cost of producing the ball of the present character is considerably less than that ohtaining on'the market. 3

The increased weight due to-its construction of cast iron or metalis of advantage in imparting solidity to the gear shift handle and tends to maintain the latteragainst ac cidental displacement from its adjusted position. f i y f "Numerous other objects and advantagesof the invention will be apparentas itis better I understood from the following descr ption,

which, taken. in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses 'apreferredl embodiment thereof. l

Insaiddrawings: I

Fig. 1 is a side view. of a g'earshiftjball; which is secured to the end of the gearshift lever a nd constituting a preferred embodi ment of the invention."

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectiononline .2"2. of, Fig-. 1,the' gear shift leverzbeing- I a V will beapparentthat various changes may 7 be made in. the form, constructionfandi'ar ra'ngement' of the parts "without [departing from 'the spi'rit and scope of thefinvention orsacrificing any of its material? advantages," 1 the form hereinbefore described being mereomitted; Fig. 3 is Fig. 1.

. Fig. t'is a plan view showing an example of lettering burnedinto and constitutingan integralpartof the porcelain enamel finish or coating.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates an automobile or other gear shift lever and 2 represents a ball Whichas illustrated is pref;

erably' formed integrally of east iron having of the ball to the end of the gear shift'lever;

manent smooth and even finish...

As shown in Fig. 1f the porcelain finish;v 4 may be of'any desired ornamental char} n-corresponding articles now found-- a a gear shift ball described is T impervious to a a View similar to Fig.2, but consistmg of atransverse section on hne 33 of ball is possessed of :a permanent glaze, and

is smooth and even through its entire surface. In constructing the article of cast iron the same is possessed of more than the ordis: nary weight thereby tending to maintain the gear shift lever in anyadjusted'position and minimizing vibrations ordinarily present when the ball is formed of material of light er weight.

.It will be moisture or perspiration and may be easily cleaned and may be manufactured at a minimum cost; The finished-article has the appearance o'fan expensive article of manufacture and by reason of its vvar1-cioloredor pearance ofglajss'ori-onyx, the construction of the ball yer cast metal rendersrhasame" practically indestructible and more durable and permanent than any article of thischar; acte'r heretofore employed. w f

grained finish results in 'an attractive article.

Itifsf. thought that the invention and many of its attendantadvantages-fwill be understood from the foregoing descriptions, and it hsreefiron having an aperture provide with a screw thread formed in the metal of. theiloall for attachment of the ball to'the end .Qfthe lever, and having a coating of vitreousienamf el fused tothejsurface ofthe ball and inti- A coating or covering of porcelain enamel is mat-81y 'umted'wlth the metaljofiithe ban indic'ated at 4 andis burned or fused into the ball, after the 'sameis cast, at an eXceed- I ingly high temperature to constitute aper result in a lev'enhandle.substantially indestructible by shocks, and also providingfa durable smooth, even and ornamental finislrj Y j I In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

acter to representwood or marble graining,

or imitation onyx. The porcelain finish may be of any desired coloror combinations there: of and provides a very attractive and ornamental handle possessing every desirable baked into the sameto constitute an integral and permanent part of the ball.

Such letteringis indicated at 6 in Fig. ,4: and may con stitutethe name, initial or monogram of the f lee 

